A Pokemon Odyssey
by Father Hulk
Summary: It's the story of a boy, a girl, a team, a world of fantasy and magic, and one very special Pokemon. For a boy from a small town, a huge journey awaits! CH 14 UP 7-1-04! RR Please!
1. Our Story Opens

****

A Pokemon Odyssey

(The Story Of Wobbuffet)

By Father Maximillian J. Hulk

****

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hello my children! Father Hulk here! Welcome to perhaps what will be my greatest achievement ever! The Pokemon Story to end them all! Well, out of my stories anyway. I had tried to do this story before, but it crashed and burned, so I removed it. But now it's back again! It tells the story of a boy, a girl, a team, a mother and father, and one very special Pokemon. This story will be all out… I hope you enjoy it!!!

****

CHAPTER 1

Our Story Opens

© 1995-2002 Nintendo

© 1995-2002 Game Freak

THE END

(click) I turned off my Game Boy Color and leaned back against my headboard. I had just finished _Pokemon Crystal. _I was the Pokemon League Champion, the strongest trainer in the land! Well, second only to Ash Ketchum himself, I thought with a chuckle. I haven't beaten him yet. But de-throning Lance is enough for me.

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Paul Cricklin, life-long resident of New Jersey, USA and long-time Pokemon Trainer. I live in a small town called Ellendun, which is only a square mile in area, but it's cozy and I wouldn't live anywhere else. I live with my father, I go to a school down in Woodfield, and I am over-all happy with my life.

If you're not familiar with the idea and story of _Pokemon,_ let me fill you in.

In a magical world called Johto, (and it's sister country Kanto) live wondrous creatures called Pokemon. These creatures represent seventeen different elements, such as Fire, Water, and Psychic Power. People have lived alongside Pokemon in harmony for ages. Sometimes they work together, sometimes they battle each other.

There are also those in the world of Pokemon that use these creatures for evil. The most prominent group is called Team Rocket. Team Rocket uses Pokemon to commit crimes, harm other Pokemon and people, and to cause havoc. Led by their master, Giovanni, Team Rocket goes everywhere spreading chaos.

Waiting for all Trainers atop the Indigo Plateau are the Elite Four, the most powerful trainers in the world, second only to the Pokemon League Champion. Should you prove yourself by defeating them, you are considered the new Champion.

So that's it in a nutshell. Of course, if I were to go into detail about _everything_ in the Pokemon world, we'd be here for ages!

I gently tossed my Game Boy Color to the ground, and stood up to go into the kitchen for a snack. However, at that moment, the telephone rang.

I picked it up. "Hello?"

"Yeah, Paul?" It was my best buddy and fellow Pokemon Trainer Donald.

"Yeah, Don-Man, whassup?"

"Oh, not much. I need you to help me with something though."

"Sure. What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for a Wobbuffet. Do you know where there is one?"

I scratched my head. "Wobbuffet? Umm, I think you can find him at night in Dark Cave."

"Okay, thanks." He said.

"But, Don… why would you want a Wobbuffet? He sucks!"

"That's not true!" Donald cried defensively. "He is a great Pokemon."

I figured I'd better try to get him to see the light. "Don, listen to me for a minute, ok? Wobbuffet learns… NO TM moves; he can't attack on his own; his stats suck… Trust me, Don, you can do better."

The next thing Donald said was spoken in a tone of voice that I had never heard him use before. "You shall come to appreciate Wobbuffet's true power soon enough."

For some reason, that sent chills through me. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Nothing, nothing." Don said, returning quickly to his normal voice. "Well, thanks for helping. Maybe soon I'll come over and we'll battle."

"Sounds good!" I said. "See ya!"

"Bye bye. _Click._"

Upon inspection of the pantry, I concluded that we had nothing suitable for a decent snack, so I decided to put on my winter coat and take a walk into town, where many places to eat existed.

It was cold outside as I stepped out the back door. But this would not deter me nor my growling stomach, so I walked down our driveway and out into Ellendun proper.

Ellendun is a beautiful town. Lots of little tree-lined avenues, three parks to boast about, and a bustling main road that was actually a state highway to boot.

I walked casually down Main Street, sometimes glancing into the stores to see what was going on within. It was during one of these glances that I bumped into someone on the road. I turned, and I saw that it was my friend John.

"Hey, hey, John!" I said in greeting.

"Wassup, Paul?" He replied. "What's goin' on?"

"Not much. Just going over to The Break for some food. You?"

"Nothing, really. I was heading over to Katrina's for some pizza. You wanna come with?"

"No thanks." I answerd.

"Really? Well, all right. Oh, by the way, Paul, check this out!" He held up a holographic foil Wobbuffet _Pokemon_ card.

"Heh, so you're in the Wobbuffet fan club as well?" I chuckled.

"Yeah. Why, Don told you he was looking for one?"

I was surprised. "Yeah…. How did you know?"

"I talked to him today. He told me he caught a Wobbuffet and that I should look for one too. But I only have the Blue Version."

"I could lend you my Silver Version," I offered. "Then you could have a taste of the challenges of Johto!"

"No thanks."

"Oh. All right then. Hey, I gotta get moving, so I'll see you around."

"Peace out, Paul." He said with a smile as we parted ways.

At long last, the brick building with its two tall chimneys, called 8 On The Break, or just "The Break" came into view. A magnificent pool hall chock full of video arcade machines and pinball tables, as well as delicious food prepared by talented chefs, The Break was perhaps the hottest spot in Ellendun.

I stepped inside and let the drone of the video games wash over me. This was a gamer's paradise. Featuring completely modern pinball tables with 3 balls for only a quarter, and all the latest fighting games and action games, you couldn't beat it.

I casually wandered over to the food counter and sat down.

"Hey, hon," said the lady who worked there. "What can I get for you?"

"I'll have a cheese steak with barbecue sauce, and an RC Cola." I said.

"Ok, it'll be a few minutes."

"Thanks."

After a minute or two, she turned around and said, "Hey can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What's up?" I replied.

"Do you play that Pokey Man game?"

It struck me odd that she would ask me of all people. "Yes, I do. Why?"

"Well, my nephew is playing it, and he's so frustrated, he can't find this one Poke-man."

"Which one was he looking for?"

"Umm…." she looked up, as if searching the air above her. "I'm trying to remember what he told me… something about a buffet…"

I raised my eyebrows. "Do you mean Wobbuffet?"

"That's the one."

Now _this_ was freaky. This was the third time today somebody mentioned Wobbuffet. It was starting to freak me out a little.

"He's in the place called Dark Cave." I told her.

"Hold on let me write it… Dark… Cave… ok, got it! Thanks!"

"You know, it's funny… you're the third person today to ask me about Wobbuffet."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's like he's the newest fad, or something."

"That's strange." The fryer dinged. "Ok, your food is ready. You wanted barbecue sauce, right?"

"Please."


	2. A Pikachu, Perhaps?

****

Chatper 2

__

A Pikachu, Perhaps?

And so it was that the trip to The Break went successfully, and one full stomach and 2 games of Marvel vs. Capcom later, I was back at home, playing Pokemon once again. However, later that evening, Dad asked me to go out to the Quick Check for milk, so I once again put on my winter coat and hat, and stepped into the frigid January air.

After I had bought the milk, I was walking home along Madison Avenue, the street adjacent to First. It was beginning to grow dark, and deep blue shadows began to creep over the ground. It was as I approached apartment 216 that I saw a movement in the shadows, a small thing running behind a trash can. I stopped and blinked a few times, and then walked over and looked behind the trash can, but there was nothing there. I smiled, called it a trick of my imagination, and started on my way again.

However, suddenly, the trash can behind me fell over, and I turned around with a jolt. The trash can rolled across the sidewalk, and I inspected it, but saw no trace of anything being there.

"Something very strange is going on here," I whispered. I looked around once again, and then turned and headed for home, unaware of the small creature watching me from the shadows.

"Chaaaaa….."

Evening fell, and it was around 10:00, when I was watching the news, that I heard a mighty rustle from the rhododendron bush outside my window.

"Ah, it's probably just the birds," I said, but then I remembered that there are no birds out at 10, and so I went and peered out my window. The bush was shaking violently, and I could hear a chattering coming from inside. And then, the rustling suddenly stopped, and then a yellow light began to emanate from the bush, dim at first, and then growing brighter, and I heard "Chuu…"

"That's the sound of a Pikachu…" I mused. "Could there be a Pikachu here? But that's impossible! Pokemon aren't real…"

"Pikapi…" said the bush again.

"Well there's only one way to find out…" I grabbed the phone and dialed Don's number. "Hey Donald! How'd you like to have some late night fun?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, I know this will sound crazy, but there's a yellow light coming from the bush outside my house, and I think it may be a Pikachu."

There was silence. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No sir!" I said. "I think I may have seen it when I was in town before, too."

"Then I wasn't imagining the yellow light from my backyard this evening," he said to himself.

"Don," I said, "Let's catch it! What do you say?"

"Sure! I'm game."

"Okay, dress in dark colors, bring some bait, and meet me on the corner of First and Sanford."

"What should I bring for bait?" he asked.

"I don't know! Crackers or something."

"I have some Ritz…"

"Ritz will be fine! Meet you in a few." I hung up the phone, put on my black sweats, got on a pair of gloves, and grabbed my butterfly net, and was out the door.


	3. Pikachu Hunting

****

Chapter 3

__

Pikachu Hunting

"Don, is that you?" I whispered as a shadowy figure approached from down the street.

"Yeah, I'm here." he said.

"What are you wearing, a facemask?" I asked, observing the black mask he had pulled over his face.

"Yeah."

"Don, we're hunting an animal, not robbing a house. Now, where should we start?"

Don thought a moment. "Well, you said you saw the light coming from the bush by your house. Let's check there first."

"Good thinking," I said. We stole cautiously up the hill and gently parted the leaves of the bush. "Well, there's a bees nest," I said, "I'll have to spray it tomorrow… but no sign of a Pikachu."

"Wait!" Don cried, "Look!"

"What have we here?" I whispered as he pointed to a trail of small footprints leading away from the bush.

"Tracks!" I whispered excitedly. "Let's follow them!"

We followed the footprints down the hill, across the large, sidewalk-less patch near Sanford Ave.

"Careful," I whispered as we dodged the muddy puddles. We reached the corner, and the trail stopped dead.

"Why did the trail stop?" Don wondered.

"Well, he's obviously not going to leave footprints on the pavement," I said, "Unless he's Godzilla."

"So what should we do?"

"Search the corners!" I declared. We split up andsearched the grass and dirt around each of the four corners of the intersection, and then regrouped in the middle of the street.

"I found nothing," he said, out of breath.

"Me neither," I said. "Wait, Don, didn't you say you saw the yellow light at your house too?"

"Yeah, in the backyard."

"Then let's make that our next destination."

"Okay." he said. We crossed over Sanford Avenue and crept into his backyard, and sure enough, we found the trail, which led to the small, plastic kids slide in the corner.

"Hey Don! Look at this!" I pointed to several small lumps on the ground, glowing faintly.

"Pikachu droppings," he mused. "And they glow. Pikachu must be near."

"Look," I whispered, "There's another trail that leads away from here." We followed the new trail, which led back away from the slide, down Sanford Avenue and, surprisingly led back down First Street…. Right up my front lawn!

"This is too weird," I said. The tracks led up the hill, and past the closed gate dividing my house and the neighbors.

"Open the gate," I said. Don gently eased the gate open, and we crept into the little alley.

Suddenly, a blinding light rained from above, putting us right in the spotlight.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, "I forgot about the motion sensor…" Suddenly I realized… "If the motion sensor went off… then the alarm upstairs must be going off too!" I spun around. "Don, get out of here!"

Don took a step back. "But what about Pikachu?"

"It'll have to wait! My dad's going to be out here in seconds! Let me deal with this!"

Don nodded, took a few steps backward, and then took off, disappearing into the shadows.


	4. ZAAAAAP!

****

CHAPTER 4

__

ZAAAAAP!!!

"Just what in the hell did you think you were doing?" My dad fumed, storming around the room while I sat on the recliner, silent as stone. "Do you think it's OKAY to just go roaming around the neighborhood at this time of night?"

"I was doing something important," I muttered.

"Oh really?" he said, in angry fascination. He kneeled down so he was face-to-face with me. "And what, pray, were you doing that was oh so important, hmm?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me!" he whispered maliciously.

"All right, I'll tell you." I looked up defiantly. "I was hunting a Pikachu."

My dad nodded slowly. "Right… a Pikachu… of course, it all makes sense now!"

"You believe me?" I asked hopefully.

"What I believe is that you have been playing way too many video games. First thing tomorrow morning, you will be giving me your Game Boy, and I will be taking your Game Cube controllers. And now, you are to draw yourself a bath and get in the tub right now, and wash off the filth of… our front lawn!" And with that, he stomped up the stairs and slammed the door shut.

I sat there, glowering. If he thought I was going to give him my Game Boy, he was sorely mistaken. I jumped off the recliner and crept into my room, picked up my Game Boy, and stole into the hall to the basement, where I would hide it.

"LET'S HEAR SOME WATER RUNNING!" came a shout from upstairs.

I rolled my eyes. Fine, I would start the bath, and then I would hide it. I went into the bathroom, put the drain plug in, and turned on the hot water. I turned and was ready to walk out when I screamed and jumped back. There in the doorway sat a yellow mouse-like creature, about a foot high and bearing brown stripes on its back, with red spots on its cheeks. It was a Pikachu!

"Pika pika!" it growled with half closed, glowing eyes.

"Umm," I whispered, panicking. I really didn't know what to do when confronted with a real Pikachu. "N-n-ice Pikachu!"

"Pika!" It growled again, and it jumped and tackled me on the chest, knocking me backwards into the tub, which was now full of hot water. My Game Boy slipped from my hand and fell into the bath. The Pikachu now stood on the toilet seat, growling.

"Don't hurt me!" I begged, but I could already see its cheek pouches beginning to sparkle. Suddenly, the little voice in my head asked me an interesting question. _"Isn't a full bathtub the worst place to be when you're about to get shocked?"_ But I didn't have time to send a message back before a powerful current blasted across the room and surged through my body.


	5. Ash Ketchum, I Presume?

****

CHAPTER 5

__

Ash Ketchum, I Presume?

Pain… sharp, stabbing pain… for a while, that's all I was aware of, and then I slowly became aware of my body again. The pains were forming all over me… there was something… no, several things, biting me! I put my hands over my head and waited for it to go away. Suddenly, I heard a voice.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" I heard a sizzling, crackling noise, followed by a wave of heat and a massive squawking, and the pain stopped. Then the voice said, "Hey, kid, are you okay?"

I groaned and opened my eyes, and found myself looking at a pair of green and white sneakers. I slowly looked up, saw baggy jeans, a blue vest, and…. I did a double take when I saw who was standing before me.

"It can't be… Is it you, Ash?" I asked, slowly getting to my feet. This was surely a dream. There was no way I could be face to face with Ash Ketchum.

"Uh, yeah, it's me!" Ash said, bashfully. "Those wild Spearows will mauling you, so I took care of them. What's your name?"

"Uh, my name's Paul. I got zapped by…"

"Pika Pika!" piped up a voice from his side. I gasped.

"Pikachu!" I slowly backed away, not forgetting the shock from before.

Ash laughed. "It's all right, he won't hurt you. C'mere, Pikachu." Pikachu jumped up on Ash's shoulder. "So, are you new in Johto?"

"Umm," I looked around, "Well I don't know… this can't even be possible…"

"Why not?"

"Well, I was at home, in New Jersey, and then your Pikachu zapped me, and now I'm here… is this really Johto?" I looked around at the lush landscape. I snapped my fingers. "Wait a minute! I dropped my Game Boy in the tub with me! That's what must've taken me here!"

"Uh, if you say so," Ash said, laughing nervously. "So, are you a Pokemon trainer?"

"Well, yeah, but all my Pokemon are in my Game Boy."

"So what are those Poke Balls in your bag?"

I looked to where he was pointing, to see a backpack lying on the ground, and six Poke Balls next to it. "How can this be…?" I whispered, but I opened each of the Poke Balls and cried out in delight to see my faithful Pokemon Team appear before me, real as the wind! Meganium… Golem… Arcanine…Politoed… Alakazam… and Magneton. "My friends!" My Pokemon cried out happily, glad to be able to finally meet me for real.

"Wow, you've got a pretty impressive team there," Ash said thoughtfully.

"Well, I put a lot of work into raising them," I said, as I stroked Meganium's head.

"I can see that." Ash said, turning his hat around. "Will you allow me to see exactly how much you've raised them?"

I froze. "You… Ash Ketchum… want to challenge me to a battle?"

"That's right." said Ash with a grin. "How about it?"

I smiled. "It would fulfill my every dream if I could stage a real Pokemon battle with you, Ash. How does 2 Poke Balls each sound?"

"It sounds perfect!" Ash said. "Okay, Noctowl, I choose you!" Ash's Noctowl appeared in a flash of red light and flew forward.

"Politoed, get out there, buddy!" I called. My Politoed bounded forward eagerly. "Politoed, Ice Beam!" Politoed fired a freezing, snowy blast towards Noctowl.

"Noctowl, dodge!" Ash called. Noctowl nimbly flew out of the way. "Noctowl, Wing Attack!" Noctowl summoned two gusts of wind and blew them towards Politoed, who took them, but bounced back easily.

"Politoed, Psychic attack!" Politoed half closed his eyes and focused his concentration, and then sent a massive psychic blast towards Noctowl, who wasn't fast enough to dodge, but still had fight left in him.

"Noctowl, use Drill Peck!" Noctowl set its beak straight forward and dove at Politoed, who fainted from the atack.

"Aww man," I groaned, "Okay, Politoed, return!" I withdrew Politoed, and then said, "Alakazam, get moving!" Alakazam slowly and proudly walked into the clearing.

"All right then, I choose you, Pikachu!" Ash said.

"PikaCHU!" Pikachu squealed, running forward.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu began to glow, and sent forth a fury of electricity.

"Alakazam, use your Light Screen to block it!" I cried, but Alakazam just wasn't fast enough, and he was electrified and knocked out. I had lost. Lost to Ash Ketchum.

"All right, Pikachu!" Ash cried happily, scooping Pikachu up in his arms. "We did it!"

I was frozen for a few moments. Even though I had lost the battle, I had just fought a real, live Pokemon battle, against Ash Ketchum no less!

"Great battle, kid," Ash said, walking forward and shaking my hand. "You fight pretty well for a rookie."

I certainly wasn't a rookie, if you count the badges I'd earned in the Game Boy game. But, I let it go. "Well, thanks Ash." I said.

"Well, I'd better get going…" he said, looking off to the west.

"Where are you going?" I asked curiously.

"I gotta get to Olivine City. I'm meeting my friend Gold there."

"Can I come with you?" I asked on an impulse.

Ash scratched his head. "Well, I don't know…" he said uncertainly.

"Please? I promise I won't be a burden!"

Ash looked down at Pikachu, as if to ask what he thought. "Pikapi!" Pikachu said with a smile.

"Well, all right, you can tag along if you want," Ash said.

"Awesome! You won't regret it!"

"Well, we should get going if we want to get to Olivine City at a decent time."

And so, Ash Ketchum set off down the road, with Pikachu on his shoulder, and I walked next to him. I was living my dream.


	6. Biker Battle

****

Chapter 6

__

Biker Encounter

"So Ash," I said as we walked down the sunny path, "What brought you out of seclusion in Mt. Silver?"

"Ah, I don't know," Ash said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It just got so boring in there… To tell you the truth, that's where I met Gold."

"Really?"

"Yep. About a year ago, he sought me out inside the cave, and we fought a wild battle… he beat me… but that only gave me respect for him. So we've been buds ever since."

"That's cool." I said, and we walked in silence for a bit, and then I said, "Well now I must ask you a very important question… are you going to ask Misty out or what?"

A huge sweat drop formed on Ash's head. "Well…uhh… that's to say…heheheh…umm…we don't…really see each other anymore… she went back to being the Cerulean Gym Leader. Although I do miss her…" he said with a sigh.

"Well hey, maybe we'll stop over in Cerulean, huh? Say hello to her."

Ash frowned. "I don't know if we'll have time. Gold says that it's pretty important what he has to tell us."

"Oh…" After a bit more walking, I said, "Ash, you know, you're famous where I come from."

"Famous? Really?" He said, blushing a bit.

"Oh yeah! People have put you into stories, and songs, and TV shows… you're a legend!"

Ash sweat-dropped again. "Well…that's cool I guess…"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu agreed from his shoulder.

Suddenly, I heard a faint rumbling noise in the distance, growing louder every few seconds. "What's that noise?" I asked Ash.

Before he could answer, a whole gang of punk Bikers pulled over the hill and started coming towards us. When they spotted us, they moved closer, and soon we were surrounded.

"Well looky here," said the leader, who was about 20 with tattoos and spiked hair, "A couple of new kids on the block." He looked over at me. "I especially don't remember seeing YOU around here, punk. What's your name, boy?"

I stepped forward defiantly. "My name is Paul Cricklin!"

"Paul Cricklin?!" he said in amusement, looking back at his comrades and laughing, "What kinda stupid name is that?"

"Hey leave him alone, alright?" Ash said, stepping forward. "We don't want any trouble."

"Oh well you GOT trouble now," the leader snarled. "Who's up for a little ass-whooping?" He jumped off his bike and approached me. "How about YOU, newbie?" He said, pushing me back.

I turned to Ash. "Leave this to me," I said.

"You can't take him on," Ash whispered back. "You lost to me, so you'll lose to him!"

"Not necessarily," I said. "Don't forget, all YOUR Pokemon's levels are in the 70's."

"Mm.. Good point." Ash said. "Well, good luck then."

"Alright you," I growled, removing a Poke Ball from my belt. "I'll fight you. 2 on 2."

"Heh, your funeral," the biker laughed. The rest of the bikers moved out of the way and cleared a spot in the center of the road. The biker whipped out a Poke Ball and threw it down. "Weezing, get the hell out there!" A Weezing appeared, coughing and spewing smoke.

"Golem, let's get moving!" I cried, throwing down Golem's ball. She appeared with a cry.

"Weezing, use your Sludge Bomb attack!" The biker snarled. Weezing threw forth a volley of poisonous sludge and muck. Golem took the attack well, most of the sludge sliding off her smooth rock body.

"Alright Golem, use Magnitude!" Golem leapt up in the air and slammed back down on her rear, and a seismic wave ripped through the ground and tore into Weezing, who was practically drained but for a little bit of life.

"That's dirty play," The biker growled, "Exactly what I'm good at. Weezing, Explosion!" Weezing began to glow, and then to shake.

"Get down!" Ash cried, pushing me down to the ground as Weezing erupted in a massive explosion that blew several of the bikers off their motorcycles. Although Golem was a rock type, she couldn't handle the blast, and fainted.

"You did good, Golem," I said, withdrawing her. "Alakazam, let's rock!" Alakazam appeared from his Poke Ball.

"Magmar, get your ass moving!" The biker said, releasing his Magmar.

"Alakazam, use Psychic!" I called. Alakazam raised his spoons in the air, and then the air became thick with psychic energy, and Magmar was blown backwards into his trainer and instantly knocked out. The battle was over and I had won.

"Piece of cake," I said cooly, withdrawing Alakazam.

"You…" the biker growled, slowly getting to his feet, "You're strong… Ha! I like that!" He got back on his bike. "Listen up, kid! If you ever want to join our gang, seek us out! We'll take you. Hey, no hard feelings?"

"None." I said.

"Good." Then he turned to his gang. "We ride North!" And they all zoomed off into the distance.

"Well I must say," Ash said, "You are truly skilled at battling. It seems you have had much practice already."

"Yes, I have." I said. "Very much."

Ash looked at his watch. "Well, it's almost midday. We should get a move on to Ilex Forest if we want to reach Olivine by the time Gold's ship comes in."

"Then let's get moving." I said, shouldering my pack. And so we continued on towards Ilex Forest.


	7. Enter Team Rocket

****

Chapter 7

__

Enter Team Rocket

The sky above Ilex Forest was dark, courtesy of the thick tree branches that formed a thick canopy over the forest floor. Contrary to our talkative nature on the road, mine and Ash's journey through the Ilex Forest passed pretty much in silence. Crickets chirped in the bushes, the air was thick and humid, and creepy crawly bugs could be seen scurrying here and there.

"It's so dense in here… it's like the air is closing in around us…" I whispered.

"Yeah…" Ash agreed. We walked in silence for a while more. "Look out!" he cried, and I ducked just in time to avoid knocking into a Kakuna nest.

"Yowza!" I cried, "Wow I'll bet you never brought Misty in here!"

"Can we stop talking about Misty?" Ash said, frowning.

"Ah, sorry man… you're taking it hard, huh?"

"Yeah…"

We continued walking, and all of a sudden, the bushes began rustling furiously, and then a wild Scyther jumped out of the brush and stood before us, snarling.

"Dude! It's a Scyther!" I exclaimed.

"Catch it," Ash suggested.

"All right," I said, pulling out Meganium's Poke Ball. "Let's go, buddy! Use Return!" Meganium stored power, and then unleashed it furiously on Scyther. Scyther took the hit hard, and began to sway.

"I think I got him!" I said. But then the Scyther began to glow, and then it jumped upright again. "Damn it, it's holding a Gold Berry! Meganium, Return again!" This time, Scyther was clearly ready to be caught. I searched my bag, but found that I had no Poke Balls. "Ash, do you have a ball I can use?"

"Um, yeah, let me check…. I think I may have a Great Ball you can use." He fumbled with his bag, but then, a distant rumbling started shaking the forest, growing louder.

"What is that?" I shouted over the noise.

"I don't know," he shouted back. Suddenly, a massive stampede of forest Pokemon came bursting through the trees, running towards us at full speed. "Get out of the way!" he screamed, and we jumped into the bushes just as the stampede rushed past, scattering birds and caterpillars flying, disappearing into the thickets.

"What do you suppose that was all about?" I asked after I had caught my breath.

"I don't know…" Ash whispered. "It can't be good… let's follow where they came from."

We took the path into the woods and came to a clearing where the shrine of the Forest Protector sat. Put Ash instantly pushed me down… for, standing in the clearing were several members of the infamous gang, Team Rocket.

"It's Team Rocket!" I whispered.

"I can see that!" Ash whispered back. "Whatever you do, don't move or speak!" I nodded. We edged forward to try to hear what was being said.

"…and personally, I think it's a crock!" said a rough-edged voice.

"Oh, you don't know nothing," said another voice. "But the boss knows, and if the boss says it's going to happen, it's gonna happen."

"So what the hell are we doing here anyway?" said another man.

"Scouting," said a smoother voice. "The Boss wants us to see if there's anything around Celebi's shrine that contains evidence of what's to come."

"Celebi…" I whispered. Celebi was the benevolent protector of the Ilex Forest from years and years ago… what could be happening?

"Well I don't see anything…" said the first voice. "We're wasting time."

I tried to creep just a little bit closer, so that I could see the shrine, and my knee snapped a twig.

"What was that???" the rough voice asked, spinning around sharply. All the men withdrew their Poke Balls from their belts.

I frowned. This was downright wrong. Team Rocket had pulled some foul stunts in the past, but if they were planning to mess with the guardian of time itself, it meant serious trouble. I stood up.

"Kid what are you doing?" Ash whispered furiously. But it was too late.

"Who are you???" The Rockets demanded.

"I am Paul Cricklin!" I declared. "And me and my friend Ash aren't going to let you do anything to Celebi!"

"Mentions me…. Stupid stupid kid…" Ash grumbled, slapping his head. He had no choice but to stand up.

"Hey! It's the one they call the twerp!" the rockets said, looking at each other. Ash waved shyly.

The Rockets regarded each other, then looked at us and grinned. "Lookit, kids, we've no time to mess with brats like you. You cannot begin to understand what we're up to." He turned. "Move out, men!" the Rockets turned, formed ranks, and marched out of the forest.

When they were gone, Ash smacked me with his hat. "That was a damn stupid thing to do!" he said. "Why did you have to stand up like that?"

"Hey, I'm sorry, all right? I made a mistake."

"The hell you did. If you get the whole Rocket organization against you, you're in deep trouble."

"Whatever," I said, brushing myself off.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Well, let's get out of here. We're almost through the forest."

And so we continued through the Ilex Forest, ever closer to Olivine City.


	8. Gold Brings Ill Tidings

****

Chapter 8

__

Gold Brings Ill Tidings

"Look," Ash said, pointing to a tall structure in the distance, "It's Olivine Lighthouse! We're almost there!"

"All right!" I exclaimed happily. "My feet are so tired!"

"Pikapi Pikachu!" said Pikachu from Ash's hat.

"Oh, what are you complaining about?" I said to him. "You've been riding comfortably up there all day!"

"Hey, go easy on Pikachu," Ash said.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, crossing his arms.

Finally, at long last, we entered the port city of Olivine! The air smelled of sea salt, sailors could be seen rushing here and there, fishing boats were anchored off shore… all the comforts of a port of call.

"Well this is a regular port city right out of a movie," I said, looking around.

"Uhh, yeah…" Ash said. "Come on, let's get to the harbor."

The harbor was a long dock at which ships regularly docked and pulled away. Several people were gathered, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the S.S. Aqua, the ship that would bring Gold into Olivine. Sure enough, at 4:15, the waters began to churn and bubble, and with a great _whoosh_, the fast ship S.S. Aqua pulled to a halt at Olivine Bay. Huge amounts of people began to disembark… trainers from all over the place: Gentlemen, Hikers, Campers, Picknikers, you name it. And then, we saw who we were looking for.

"Yo, Gold! Over here!" Ash called, raising his hand. Gold noticed us and came forward. He was a boy of about 16 with brown hair and a twisted around baseball cap. He wore a white sweatshirt with red sleeves, and a pair of baggy pants.

"Hullo, Ash!" Gold said cheerfully, shaking his friend's hand. "How goes it?" He looked at me. "Who's he?"

"Oh, this is Paul. He's been tagging along with me." Ash said. "Paul, Gold. Gold, Paul."

"How ya doin," I said with a smile, shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you." Gold said. "You new around Johto?"

I nodded. "You could say that."

"Hmm…"

"So Gold, what was this big news you had to tell us?"

Gold glanced around nervously. "We should not speak of it here. Let's grab a bite at the diner, where there's less prying eyes and ears."

We unanimously agreed.

"What will you have, good sirs?" the waiter asked.

"I'll have a volcano burger, no lettuce," I said.

"Ash and I are going to share a super Slowbro corn beef sandwich."

"Very good sirs." The waiter said, and he left us.

Gold looked around to make sure there was nobody listening, and then leaned forward and said, "Okay, guys, here's the scoop. You guys all know that Cinnabar Island is the birthplace of Mewtwo, right?" We nodded. "Well, I found out that when they rebuilt the lab on Cinnabar Island, they created a psychic energy detector, which would react to strong psychic energy in the area. They were hoping that Mewtwo would return to the island. Well, a few weeks ago, the meter began reacting violently… it broke from all the energy it was receiving."

"So did Mewtwo return?" Ash asked.

"That's the thing!" Gold said. "They never saw him. Not a trace of him for miles!"

"Weird," I said.

"Yeah. So anyway, I was visiting some relatives in Kanto not long after that when I bumped into a few members of Team Rocket. Luckily I hid behind some garbage cans so they didn't see me, but as they walked past I heard them mutter something about Mewtwo and Cinnabar Island."

"Do you think they're after Mewtwo?" I asked.

"I didn't know," Gold replied, "So I did some sleuthing around. I asked some people at the tavern if they knew where Team Rocket was hiding out. Nobody knew, but then I saw this one guy… he wore a cloak and a hood, so I couldn't see his face… and he had a Wobbuffet with him. He told me that Team Rocket was staying at the abandoned warehouse until tomorrow morning, when they would move to Blackthorn City for a secret meeting in the Dragon's Den."

"How did he know all this?" Ash asked, flabbergasted.

"I didn't ask," Gold said grimly. "I was happy just to get any info at all."

"So what did you do?"

"What do you think I did? I hopped on my Pidgeot and tailed them to Blackthorn. I waited outside the Dragon's Den until they were all inside, and then I followed them. I didn't hear exactly everything they said, but from what I gathered, Boss Rocket, Giovanni, is planning some kind of huge search and capture mission, involving the forest protector, Celebi."

"So that's what the Rockets were doing in Ilex Forest!" I exclaimed.

"Shhh! Keep your voice down!" Gold whispered fiercely. "So anyway, they also said there would be a huge battle involving an army of Mewtwo's. Apparently, Celebi has become angry with humans for destroying forests and land, and is going to attack with an army of ten thousand Mewtwos."

This last bit of news draped a heavy silence over the table. This was indeed dire news.

"So… what should we do?" I asked finally.

Gold snorted. "What? You think we can actually do anything?"

"Hey, would you rather sit here and do nothing while Celebi plots against the world?"

More silence, and then Ash said, "The kid has a point."

"Come on, dude," I said, almost pleadingly. "Haven't you seen enough on your travels to see that even a small group of people can make a difference? If we rally enough help to our cause, I'm sure there's something we could do!"

Gold sighed, looked at me and Ash, and said, "All right, fine. We'll try to help the world."

"That's my boy!" I exclaimed, patting Gold on the back. Ash and Gold looked at me like I was crazy. And then the check came, and I began to feel two pairs of eyes glaring at me.

"Don't get stingy with us, Cricklin," Ash said. I groaned and reached for my wallet.

"So where are we off to?" I asked when we had exited the diner.

"I think the best move would be to go and see Kurt, in Azalea Town." Gold said. "He lives near the Ilex Forest and knows much of its history. Surely he can tell us something about Celebi."

"Great. So how do we get there?" I asked.

Ash pointed to the road. "That way. We must pass through Union Cave. It's about a half day journey."

I sighed, and said. "Well, all right, let's go!" We looked at each other and nodded, and then set off determinedly for the route that would take us to Union Cave.


	9. Team Rocket Exposition

****

Chapter 9

__

Team Rocket Exposition

"So Gold," I said as we tramped along the road, "Is it true you have 16 badges?"

"Yes it is," Gold said proudly. He patted his backpack. "Lance gave me a special commemorative case to keep them all in."

"Show off…" Ash grumbled. We were on our way to Union Cave. The road was long, and my feet were beginning to get tired. I was almost considering asking Meganium to carry me on his back for a while, but then the road curved around into a wooded area, and the tall, gaping entrance to Union Cave stood before us.

"Union Cave," Ash said, "The path to Azalea Town. I hear some rare Pokemon live in here, so keep your Poke Balls handy."

"I don't have any…" I pouted. "I forgot to go to the Pokemon Mart in Olivine."

Gold put his hand on my shoulder. "Relax, kid. I have over 30 Great Balls in my bag, and I'd be more than happy to let you use some of them."

"Sweet!" I exclaimed. And so, we gathered our courage and entered Union Cave.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The warehouse was dark and dusty. Bare light bulbs hung in the musty rooms, many of which contained only empty boxes stacked against the dust coated walls. Crickets and maybe even roaches could be seen scuttling about in the darkness. But, just because the warehouse was old and dirty didn't mean it was empty.

Several members of the evil organization, Team Rocket, could be seen walking down the hallways in ranks, or running from room to room searching for equipment, or sitting in offices, giving orders. This was the Team Rocket Headquarters! Right now, all the Rockets were rushing to the main hall. Two of these Rockets, a tall, slim woman with flaming red hair and a lanky man with purple hair, were running particularly fast.

"Hurry up, James you nitwi!" The woman called as the man stumbled and fell.

"Jessie, I'm tired. Why must we run like this?" James panted, trying to keep up.

"Because the Boss has big plans involving that stupid forest Pokemon, and if we get to the meeting first, it will make us look good and he will want to give us the most important jobs." Jessie sighed with dreamy eyes. "Ah, to be on the good side of the Boss."

"Well I have a feeling we're already late," James muttered.

"Because of you!" Jessie growled. "Now, come on!" She grabbed his shirt collar and dragged him down the hall.

Giovanni looked up and smiled as the Rockets began filing into the main hall. It gave him a great feeling of power to know that he was in control of such a powerful force. Eventually, he would dominate all Pokemon, and they would call him King. He smiled to himself.

When all the Rockets were gathered, he picked up his microphone. "All right everyone, pay attention! This is perhaps the most important meeting I have ever held!" He looked around the room, and then continued. "Thousands of years ago, the guardian of Ilex Forest, Celebi, died. But his spirit has continued to watch over Johto from that point on. Now, from then until now, mankind has altered the earth dramatically, from deforestation to global warming, and so on. This has made Celebi very angry."

"How do you know that?" A Rocket in the front row asked.

"Do not question me!" Giovanni roared, but then proceeded to calmly answer the question. "Ancient scrolls foretold several unexplained atmospheric disturbances and seismic activity would occur when Celebi was angered. Recently there have been severely strong winds in Ilex Forest, as well as the volcano in Cinnabar erupting last year, and Pokemon that rely on Earth's magnetic field, such as Magnemite and Voltorb, have been exploding or going crazy for no reason. This surely is the sign of Celebi's return."

Jessie and James looked at each other nervously, and then turned their attention back to Giovanni. Meowth hopped up on James's head for a better view.

"The relevance this has to us, Team Rocket, is clear," Giovanni said with a small smile. "The legendary forest guardian would make a perfect prize for us to catch and sell, wouldn't it?" There was silence, and Giovanni bellowed, "WOULDN'T IT?"

"Yes sir, Giovanni!" The Rockets echoed in unison.

Giovanni sat back in his chair with satisfaction. "So, that is our main focus from now on. All other operations are halted. I will now break you up into groups and give you your objectives. Jessie and James?"

Jessie and James stood up, and Meowth ran forward and stood between them.

"Your mission is reconnaissance. Take a squad of twenty Rockets with you and split up. Find out anything, and I mean ANYTHING you can about Celebi and his return. No bit of information is invaluable. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Boss!" Jessie and James said, thrilled to be finally given a big assignment.

"Captains Hulk and Greystorm?" Giovanni said. Two brash, muscular men stood up and crossed their arms proudly. "Your job is recruitment. If we're going to battle against Celebi, we will need more people than we already have. Take your squad and go to all the cities and towns in Johto and Kanto, and God help us, go to Hoenn if you have to, and recruit as many members as you possibly can!"

"Yes sir, Giovanni." Capt. Greystorm said with a sneer.

Finally, Giovanni said, "Lieutenant Yoi!" A tall girl with long, flowing brown hair stood up and smiled. Giovanni smiled at her. Lieutenant Yoi may as well have been his second in command… she was his daughter. She had been around the team since she was a child, and she had become accustomed to the ways of Team Rocket, and many of the officers came to love her as much as her father. When she turned 17, she had become a full-fledged member.

"Yes, Boss?" she said. Even though Giovanni was her father, she was no different from the other officers.

"Lieutenant, I want you to take three squads and patrol the seas between Johto and Kanto. You will be our maritime training facility. Hulk and Greystorm will be responsible for bringing the new recruits to the ship, and we'll train them there. You are to have all new members trained in a month, got it?"

"Yes, Boss." Lt. Yoi said.

Giovanni turned back to the entire group. "Once all the objectives have been completed, which should take no more than a month, we are all to meet at our old headquarters in Mahogany Town. From there, we will mass our armies and move out to the foot of the mountains for the final battle. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Boss!" the whole group said in unison.

"MOVE OUT!" Giovanni ordered. The men and women formed ranks and marched out of the room. Giovanni beckoned Yoi over to him. He looked up at his daughter and smiled. "Be careful, alright?"

"I will, Daddy." she assured him. "I'll be fine."

"I know." he said. "Now, go." She turned and left. Giovanni leaned back in his chair. Soon, he would be in the possession of the most powerful Pokemon that ever lived. He closed his eyes and whispered, "And they will call me King."


	10. The Telling of the Tale

****

Chapter 10

The Telling of the Tale

There was only one word to describe what it was like inside Union Cave: damp. It was horribly damp inside, not to mention dark and smelly. Even though I couldn't see them, I could hear creepy, crawly Pokemon scuttling in and out of the shadows, crying out occasionally.

"This place gives me the creeps," Ash said, shivering.

"Ah, it doesn't bother me," Gold said. "After all, I've been to all the caves in Kanto and Johto."

"All right, stop rubbing it in!" Ash complained, "You've been more places than me! So what? It's not like…" But suddenly he stopped, and wrinkled his nose. "Dude! What is that smell?"

We all smelled it also. It was incredibly foul. Then, Gold nudged me on the shoulder and pointed to a corner of the cave. In the light filtering down from a crack in the ceiling, I saw a huge pile of brown stuff… We all looked up, and saw a cluster of Zubat hanging from the ceiling, obviously the source of the guano.

"Let's move on, quickly," I said, holding my breath. We all hurriedly went ahead.

The cave was incredibly long… a lot bigger than I remembered it from the game. Finally, I said, "Hey Ash, do you think Meganium would mind giving me a ride for a while?"

"Why do you want to make your Pokemon smell this foul air?" Gold asked, rolling his eyes.

"No, he's got a point." Ash said. "I just might ask Blastoise for a ride."

Gold sighed. "Well all right then, by Joshua, we'll all ride our Pokemon!" And so, with me atop my beloved Meganium, Ash riding high on Blastoise's shoulders, and Gold riding regally atop Persian, we pressed onward.

We rode in silence for about twenty minutes, when suddenly Gold tilted his head and whispered, "Did you hear that?"

"What?" Ash asked, motioning for Blastoise to stop.

"It sounded like a faint rumbling coming from down the tunnel." We listened intently, and indeed there came a distant rumble, repeated every few seconds or so.

"What do you say we find out what it is?" I asked. They nodded silently, and we nudged our Pokemon forward. As we got closer to the noise, it got louder and louder, and soon, from around a curve ahead of us, we saw bright flashes of pink and blue light, and several men were screaming. We looked at each other, but continued. We passed the bend, and immediately scuttled back into the shadows.

"This is impossible…" I whispered. "Two of _those_?"

Illuminating the center of the cave were two Mews, the rarest Pokemon ever. One was emitting a light blue halo, the other a bright pink. They were very angry, we could tell. And well they should be, for crowded around them were at least a dozen members of Team Rocket, their Pokemon pressing closer and closer to the Psychic Pokemon. The Mews' halo brightened, and the Rocket Pokemon were flung backwards and slammed into the wall.

_DO NOT ADVANCE ON US AGAIN! _boomed a deep, horrible voice. _OR IT SHALL BE THE LAST THING YOU WILL EVER DO!_ But this only made the Rockets snicker.

"Hey guys, I think we should help." I said.

"Don't get involved," Ash whispered fiercely. "The Mews are powerful. They can handle themselves."

"They're outnumbered!" I whispered back. "Look… Meganium and I will handle this. You just stay here." Before either one of them could stop me, I jumped off Meganium and we approached the battle.

"Hey, what say you back off that Mew couple right about now?" I said casually.

The Rockets spun on me. "Who the devil are you? Stay out of our business!"

"This is now our business," I said, narrowing my eyes. "You have no business hurting an innocent Mew couple. Now, back down!" I felt confident, but suddenly I was surrounded by the Rocket Pokemon. "Okay, Meganium… attack! ATTACK!" Meganium roared and rammed its head into a Weezing, sending it flying. A Raticate came dashing forward, fangs bared, but Meganium kicked it back with its hind legs. A Gloom managed to get in a Cut attack, but Meganium took it in stride and gave it a hardy head butt. The Rocekts saw that I was powerful, and then all of the enemy Pokemon were closing in on us.

But suddenly, out of nowhere, an Ice Beam and Shadow Ball attack came flying out of the darkness, striking a few of the Pokemon.

"Looks like you need a little help," Gold said cooly, as he and Ash stepped out of the shadows. "Shall we?"

I grinned. "You guys are the best. Now let's do this!!!"

The combined might of the Team Rocket squadron was no match for our team of three. And a few Solarbeams, Surfs, and Slashes later, the Rocekts gathered what Pokemon were left and dashed off down the tunnel.

I caught my breath, and then cheered, "We did it! We beat Team Rocket!"

Gold shook his head and smiled. "I have to say… you fight pretty damn well, kid. Pretty damn well."

"Yeah, I think your fighting style even rivals me!" Ash said with a nervous laugh.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" I said, patting Ash on the back. "If that was true, then how come I'm not the final enemy of Gold, Silver, and Crystal and you are?"

Ash made a weird face. "What the hell are you talking about?"

_ENOUGH…_ said a voice.

"Oh yeah," I said, turning back to the Mew couple, who were floating next to each other before us. "Well, we saved you!"

_THAT YOU DID… _said the male, nodding. _NOW YOU MUST LEAVE THIS PLACE._

"Aren't you the least bit grateful?" Ash asked.

_WE DID NOT ASK FOR YOUR HELP._ the female replied.

Gold rolled his eyes, and turned to us and said, "How do you like that? We save the rarest Pokemon in the world, and they don't even thank us for it."

"Well, then let's just do as they say and get moving," Ash sighed. "If we're going to stop Celebi's army of Mewtwo's, we'd better…"

_DID YOU SAY MEWTWO? _came the voice of the female.

"Yes we did," Gold said. The Mews looked at each other and sighed. "Why? Do you know Mewtwo?"

The male looked down for several moments, and then looked up at us again and said, _SIT DOWN. THERE IS A TALE WE MUST TELL YOU. _Obediently, we sat on some rocks nearby and listened. The male continued. _WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF MEWTWO?_

"Well, we know that he's the most powerful Psychic Pokemon, and that he was created in the lab at Cinnabar Island." I said.

The male sighed. _THAT IS WHAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN TOLD, BUT IT IS INDEED AN UNTRUTH. MEWTWO IS OUR SON._

We exchanged glances of surprise. Then Ash asked, "So, he wasn't genetically engineered?"

_NO. THE ONES WHO WERE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED WERE MY MATE AND I._

WE WERE ALIVE THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, the female said. _WE SUDDENLY AWOKE IN THIS NEW WORLD, SURROUNDED BY SCIENTISTS. IT WAS VERY CONFUSING._

THE SCIENTISTS TREATED US WELL, the male continued. _THEY RAISED US AND CARED FOR US AS WELL AS ANY TRAINER WOULD. IN TIME, THEY TRIED TO ENCOURAGE US TO MATE._

"So, I'm assuming it happened then?" I questioned.

The female nodded. _YES. WE GAVE BIRTH TO OUR SON, MEWTWO. HE WAS VERY DOCILE UPON BIRTH, EVEN PLAYFUL. AND THE SCIENTISTS TREATED HIM AS WELL AS THEY TREATED US._

"But, something must have happened," Gold put in, "Because the lab on Cinnabar Island was destroyed."

_YES,_ the male said, frowning. _THAT WAS OUR MAKING._

"Your making? I thought Mewtwo destroyed it." Ash said.

_OUR SON WAS NOT HAPPY LIVING IN THE CONFINES OF THE LAB. HE LONGED TO SEE THE OUTSIDE WORLD. HE BECAME LISTLESS AND ARROGANT. WE COULD NOT BEAR TO SEE HIM THIS WAY. _The female stopped speaking and closed her eyes. _SO, WE ENCOURAGED HIM TO BREAK FREE, TO USE HIS MASSIVE PSYCHIC POWER TO ESCAPE, TO GO OUT AND LIVE FREELY. HE TOOK OUR ADVICE AND DESTROYED THE LAB._

The male spoke next. _WE THOUGHT WE HAD DONE WELL. BUT ALL THE SCIENTISTS, THE ONES WHO CARED FOR US AND LOVED US, LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE EXPLOSION, AND WE REALIZED WE HAD ERRED GREATLY. WE HID OURSELVES AWAY IN THIS CAVE, TO REMAIN FOREVER AWAY FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD._

There was a brief moment of silence, and in that time, we decided we had to tell the Mew couple what was going on. I looked up at them and said, "There are big things going on, and it involves your son. The forest guardian, Celebi, is planning to launch an attack, and he's using an army of over ten thousand Mewtwo clones."

_MY BABY!_ the female cried, covering her eyes with her hands and weeping.

The male put his hand on her shoulder, and then said to us, _ARE YOU PLANNING TO STOP CELEBI?_

"Yes, yes we are," Gold replied.

The male sighed and then said, _THEN YOU MUST GO, AND QUICKLY. AS GLAD AS WE ARE THAT OUR SON IS ALIVE, WE CANNOT BEAR TO SEE HIM USED FOR SUCH A PURPOSE. IF IT MEANS THE SAFETY OF THE WORLD, THEN YOU MUST STOP CELEBI'S ARMY AT ALL COSTS._

"And that's what we'll do." Ash said. "We are on our way to see Kurt, in Azalea Town. He knows a lot about Ilex Forest and its history, so we're hoping he can tell us something about Celebi."

_THEN GO. THE CAVE EXIT IS AROUND THE NEXT BEND._

We uneasily stood up and gathered our Pokemon. "Well, we'll do our best." I said. "We're sorry again for what happened to Mewtwo."

_YOU NEEDN'T BE SORRY. ALL THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON. NOW, HURRY! GO!_

Without another word we hurried around the bend and exited Union Cave. The small community of Azalea Town lay before us, and hopefully, some answers did too.


	11. The Mysterious Stranger

****

Chapter 11

__

The Mysterious Stranger

It was noon outside Sunshine City when two pairs of eyes peeked over a hill nearby.

"Jessie, do you really think we're going to get any information here?" asked James worriedly.

"Of course we will!" she snapped back. "This town is famous for it's tavern, the Sunshine Spot. When people are drunk, they're more than willing to give information away!"

"Hey maybe they'll give some food away too!" Meowth exclaimed eagerly. "I'm so hungry I could eat a Walrien."

"Hush." Jessie said. "Now, let's go." They stood up, and, wearing normal, everyday clothes rather than their usual Team Rocket attire, they strode down the hill towards the gleaming city.

_"Hmm… Jessie looks nice today," _ James thought to himself as they walked. _"She's wearing her hair down. It looks nice like that." _Suddenly, he found himself wondering why he was thinking about Jessie. He shook his head and continued to walk.

_"Was he looking at me?" _Jessie wondered to herself, stealing a look over at James. _"I think he was looking at me… but I'm probably just imagining things. We must focus on our mission."_

And so it came to be that Jessie and James walked through the gates of Sunshine City. The city was large, consisting of tall, 2 or 3 story apartment buildings and office buildings. There were no small houses. Most of the buildings were colored a warm yellow tone, except for the Pokemon Center and the local Tavern, the Sunshine Spot, which is where they were now headed.

Jessie stopped them outside the tavern. "Now listen, nitwits. We can't use our real names in here… they're not safe. From now on, I will be Allison and you, James, will be Zachary."

"What about me?" Meowth asked.

Jessie gave him a weird look. "You'll always be Meowth, because, you're a Meowth. Get it?"

"Rats…"

"Rats? Where?" James cried, whirling around in fear.

"Oh, shut up!" Jessie grumbled. "Come on." She grabbed him by the ear and pulled him into the tavern."

It was like stepping from daylight directly into nighttime. There was very little light inside the tavern, save from the glows coming from the electric torch lights on the walls. Round tables were positioned around the perimeter of the bar, while the bar itself was in the center, at which several shady, sleazy, and otherwise mysterious folk were sitting. Smoke hung heavy overhead, causing the room to smell horribly. James wrinkled his nose as he entered.

"Jessie, this place smells horrible. Must we…"

"Shh! I am Allison now!" she reminded him. "Let's get a seat at the bar."

They found two stools to sit on, and the barkeep said, "What'll it be, strangers?"

"Sam Adams," James said.

"And for you?" The barkeep said to Jessie.

"The same."

The barkeep brought them their drinks, and for a while they sat and said nothing, carefully observing the different people at the bar. Finally, James turned and said to a man next to him, "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Sure is," the man agreed in a raspy voice, taking a big sip from his mug.

"On a nice day like this, why, all kinds of rare Pokemon come out."

"Sure do," the man agreed again.

"Zachary, why don't you tell this nice man about the Pokemon your poppa told you about?" Jessie said with a bright smile, accenting her voice just a bit.

"Oh, right, right," James said, playing along. "My poppa told me 'bout this neat li'l green Pokemon called Celebi. He didn't know too much though, he said he just seen it in a book somewhere."

"Celebi, huh?" said another man across the way. "I never heard of a Pokemon by that name."

"I have!" bellowed a fat hiker next to Jessie. "I know I have! He lives in Ilex Forest, playin with all the forest animals and little trees, eh he he he!" Jessie frowned… the man was clearly drunk, but she pressed him for information anyway.

"Go on," she said,

"Oh I don't know what he's doin' now," the hiker continued, taking a sloppy drink from his mug, "But somebody told me he's coming back! Like, he said in a month, or two months, or something. Said he's gonna show up at the full moon!"

James was secretly writing all this down. "Yes, and then what?"

"You're wasting your time trying to obtain information from drunken strangers," said a voice behind them. Jessie and James turned to see a figure in a cloak seated at a nearby table. His face was entirely covered by the hood he wore. A Wobbuffet sat next to him. "Come sit with me," he said.

Jessie and James obediently sat down opposite the figure.

"Now, what exactly is it you need to know about Celebi?"

"Why should we tell you?" Jessie asked defiantly.

"Indeed," the stranger said with a nod. "There is no reason. But if it is information you seek, you have a better chance of getting it from me than from any of the other vagabonds in this bar. Now, speak."

James took a deep breath and said, "We heard that Celebi is going to be returning in about a month. Our Boss… I mean, a friend of ours wants to capture it, so we're trying to find out as much as we can about the event."

The Wobbuffet raised its mug, and the barkeep brought it another root beer.

"This event of which you speak," the stranger replied thoughtfully, "Is fated to occur in exactly one month from today. However, even I do not know the exact location at which Celebi will emerge. You say your boss is going to capture it?"

"Yes, that's right." Jessie said, nodding.

"He is a fool," the man said, laughing. "Celebi will not be alone. He will have an army more powerful than any that walks this earth. Your entire force will be overrun in minutes."

"So what can we do?" James asked.

The man did not speak for several moments, before saying, "What exactly are your objectives here in this city?"

"We're just trying to get all the information we need," James said.

"Well here is all you need to know…" the man said. "Unless you can match the strength of Celebi's army, you stand no chance. You must do whatever it takes to become strong enough to stand a chance. Are there more of your group?"

"Yes," James said. "But they're at least three days away from here. They're scouting for information too."

"Then you must join them as soon as you can and start building your own army. Do whatever it takes, do you understand?"

Jessie and James nodded.

"Good. Now, be off, quickly."

Jessie and James quickly got up and left the bar.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That night, Jessie and James were back at the small apartment they had rented while they were staying near Sunshine City.

"So, I guess we have our work cut out for us," James was saying as he began packing some things up for their trip tomorrow.

"Yeah…" Jessie said quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

James looked up. "Hey Jess, are you all right?"

"I'm fine…" she said, looking down and turning away.

James sat down next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Jess?"

She looked up into his eyes. "James, I'm scared. I mean, usually we're up against normal trainers or Pokemon that aren't too much of a challenge, but Celebi is really powerful… I'm afraid we could get hurt."

James took her hands in his own. "Hey, I'm scared too. We've never been up against a Pokemon like Celebi before. But, I can promise that as long as I'm with you, you'll be fine." He smiled.

"Do you mean it?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"Absolutely. Jessie, we've been working together for years. You're the best friend I've ever had, and I'd rather give myself up first than see you get hurt."

"Oh James…" She threw her arms around him. "Thank you… thank you…" she whispered. There in James's arms, she truly did feel safe from everything that could harm her. "Keep me safe, James." she whispered.

"I will." he assured her. "I will."


	12. The Meeting With Kurt

****

Chapter Twelve

__

The Meeting with Kurt

"Azalea Town at last!" I said with relief as we emerged from Union Cave into the bright sunlight. We walked past the Slowpoke Well and into the town itself. It was small, with only a few houses, as well as the gym and the Pokemon Center. We made a stop at this Pokemon Center to heal our Pokemon.

"Do you think Kurt is at home?" I asked Ash.

"I don't know," Ash replied, "I hope so."

"He is," said a little girl who was seated on a couch nearby. "Grandpa just got back to the house with an armload of Apricorns, so chances are he'll be working all night."

"Thanks!" Gold said with a smile. Then he said to us, "Ok, let's go."

We approached Kurt's house, which was located at the west end of town. I stepped up and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" asked a slightly elderly voice with a hint of raspiness. "I'm very busy in here."

"Kurt, do you remember me?" Gold called. "It's me, Gold! I helped you at Slowpoke Well last year…."

"Oh yes!" the voice said, becoming pleasant, and the lock clicked and the door opened to reveal Kurt the Poke Ball Craftsman and Ilex Forest historian. He was short, maybe about 5 foot 3, and he wore a black robe, across which ran a red sash. He was bald, his eyes seemed to be always shut, and his mouth was set in a gruff line.

"Gold, my friend, it's been so long!" Kurt said, smiling. "Are these friends of yours?"

"Yes," Gold said. "We have urgent business that we need to talk to you about."

"Well, don't stand out in the cold! Come in, come in!" Kurt held the door open for us, and we stepped inside. The house was cozy… it featured a large worktable in the corner, obviously where Apricorns were crafted into Poke Balls; and there were two beds in the other corner, and in between were bookshelves and decorative tables.

"So what can I do for you?" Kurt asked after we had sat down.

We looked at each other, and then Ash said, "We came to talk about Celebi."

Kurt's expression immediately grew serious. "Celebi, you say?"

"Yes. He's going to return, and it's not going to be pleasant."

Kurt sighed and walked to the window. "I knew that this day would come," he said, shaking his head. "I just hoped that it wouldn't be in my lifetime, although that is a bit selfish. Celebi's return has been prophesized about for hundreds of years." He walked away from the window and sat down before us. "What exactly do you know?"

"Well, we know that he's angry at humans for destroying the earth, by way of deforestation, oil drilling, and so on, and so he's going to pay us back."

"We hear that he's creating an army of ten thousand Mewtwos,"I said. "And that he's going to appear in a month somewhere near the mountains."

"What do YOU know about Celebi, Kurt?" Gold asked. "That's why we came."

"The story of Celebi has been passed down through my family in the form of this," Kurt said, walking over to one of the bookshelves and removing a dusty leatherbound volume. "It is the earliest written version of the legend." He opened the book and pointed to the pictures on the pages as he spoke.

"Celebi was born of the forest. When he awoke for the first time, the flowers bloomed and the trees grew tall. For hundreds of years, Celebi flew around the forest, nurturing it, giving it life and strength, and guarding it from those who would do it harm. After he died, his spirit left his body and burst apart into powder, coating everything in the forest. That is how Celebi has been able to keep watch for all these years."

"Kurt, you said that Celebi's return had been prophesized as well?" Gold asked.

"Yes," Kurt said grimly. "See here," He flipped farther ahead. "The text doesn't really say much, but as you can see from the pictures, it shows Celebi perched on a mountain, casting his wrath down upon the earth. And the earth, as you can see, is charred and burnt, indicative of human interference. But that's all this book is able to tell us."

"Is there any way we can stop Celebi?" Ash asked, scratching his head.

Kurt put the book away and sat down. "I do not know if he can be stopped," he said with a sigh. "If he is creating this army of Mewtwos as you say, then I doubt that all the trainers in the world could stand up to him."

"So what can we do?" I asked anxiously.

Kurt shook his head. "I don't know. Celebi's return was always thought to be just a myth. Nobody ever thought it would really happen. Nobody's prepared."

"So are you saying that all we can do is just let the world be destroyed?!" I cried.

Kurt put his hands together and sighed. "I, myself, cannot predict what the outcome of this conflict will be. I only know the stories of Celebi and the forest, I do not know about his powers or weaknesses. I do, however, have an idea." He got up and scribbled something on a piece of paper, and passed it to Gold. "This is the address of the Pokemaniac. He lives across the sea, in Cianwood City. He knows far more about Pokemon then I do. Perhaps he would be able to better help you."

"Thanks, Kurt," Gold said, stuffing the piece of paper in his pocket.

"But you shall do no more traveling today," Kurt said. "It is dark, and you have had a hard journey to get here. Tonight, you shall rest at my home, and I will see you off to Olivine tomorrow morning, so that you may take the ship to Cianwood."

"Thank you, Kurt," Ash said.

And so long into the night we sat by the fire, and Kurt told us magnificent stories about the history of the forest, about the struggles for its survival, about the ancient Pokemon that once dwelled there, and of the people who looked after it from days gone by. Presently, we began to yawn, and we knew it was time we got to bed. Kurt spread out some quilts up in the loft, and it was there that we slept for the night.


	13. Hold It!

****

Chapter 13

__

Hold it!!!

Kurt's loft was small, but it had enough floor space for Ash, Gold, and I to sleep comfortably. Despite the hard wooden floor and the scratchy hay we were sleeping on top of, we slept soundly all through the night.

We were jolted awake at 7 am by Kurt banging on the ceiling of the lower floor with a broom. "Up! Up! Wake up! No time to lose!"

"Ahhh, I don't wanna get up!" Gold moaned, turning over.

"I was having such sweet dreams too," Ash sighed, sitting up on his elbows. "It was about Misty."

"And that's all you'll tell us," I cut in, leaving Ash dumbfounded.

"Nice, Cricklin," Gold said with a laugh. "Tough break, Ash," he said, patting Ash's shoulder. "Come on, we should head downstairs."

"Ah! The sleepyheads live!" Kurt exclaimed, putting his hands together. "Fantastic. Today you will head back to Olivine City to board the S. S. Aqua. But! Breakfast comes first! Sit! Sit!"

We obediently sat at the small table in the corner of Kurt's house, and he placed before us bowls of oat-cluster cereal that tasted as dry and unappetizing as they looked. When Kurt had sternly seen every last disgusting oat cluster swallowed, he said, "Now then! It is time you are headed back to Olivine City."

"Great..." I grumbled. "Walking all the way back will take us at least another two days... that's just what I need."

"Walking? I wouldn't hear of it!" Kurt said. "Let us step outside." When we were all outside, Kurt removed a Poke Ball from his robe. "This is my Noctowl, Kayla. She will fly you back to Olivine City immediately."

"Oh. Well, we appreciate, Mr. Kurt, sir!" Ash said, smiling.

"Not a problem," Kurt said with a nod. "After all, any friends of Gold are friends of mine! Now, off you go. Hurry!"

Gold opened the Poke Ball and with a flash of red light, Kayla the Noctowl emerged, stretching her long wings and hooting.

"Take them to Olivine, my pet," Kurt whispered to her, stroking her head. "To Olivine..."

We climbed on Noctowl's back, and with a jolt, we were zooming up into the sky.

"Seek the Pokemaniac!" Kurt called after us. "He will know what to do!"

"Woo hoo!" Ash cried as we zoomed through the clouds. "Nothing can dampen our spirits now!"

Gold pointed at some dark clouds up ahead. "Those rainclouds might."

The rain beat down in sheets against the window of Jessie and James's tiny apartment. They stood looking out at the outskirts of Sunshine City, which no longer seemed bright and glowing, but rather dull and drab, and overall uninviting.

"I guess we can't regroup with our squad today." James said, to break the silence.

"Obviously," Jessie agreed, rolling her eyes.

"Do you think they'll get too far ahead of us for us to track 'em down?" Meowth asked from the bed.

"Don't worry," Jessie said. "I have a satellite phone. Once the weather clears up we should be able to contact them. But for now, it looks like we're stuck here."

"Great," said James, flipping on the TV and flopping down at the foot of the bed. Jessie sat next to him. For the next hour or so, they just sat there, flipping through the channels while the rain pounded and pounded against the window, and Meowth snoozed and snoozed on the bed.

A chill went through James. _It must be getting cold out,_ he said with a shiver. He instinctively put his arm around Jessie.

"Um, James?" Jessie said after a moment.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Your arm is around me. Why is that?"

James faltered. "Um.. it's getting cold. I'm staying close to you for warmth."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Whatever." But she did not remove James's arm. But then, James rested his head on her shoulder. "Just what do you think you're doing?" she cried, standing up.

"What?" he exclaimed, also standing up. "The neck generates alot of heat, and I'm freezing, so I thought..."

"You thought nothing!" Jessie snarled, sticking her finger in James' face. "I think I know what you were doing!"

"Oh yeah? Then why don't you just tell me?" James replied, sticking his finger in Jessie's face.

"Get your finger out of my face!" Jessie warned.

"You get your finger out of my face!" James shot back.

"But I was here first! Now get it out!" She shoved James's arm away, and they began a shoving match.

"HEY HEY HEY!" Meowth cried, awoken by the noise. He jumped on their shoulders and separated them. "Look at you two! Can't you two see that you're in love with each other?"

"In love?" Jessie said, smirking.

"Yeah... in love?" James said with an equal smirk.

"I can see it in your eyes," Meowth said, smiling. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go find a decent pile of sand." And he left the room.

Without another word, Jessie and James sat down next to each other in front of the TV. Presently, Jessie turned and said, "James... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so upset. Do you forgive me?"

"I forgive you, Jess," James said, smiling. After a bit he said, "Just why did it bother you so much, anyway?"

"Who said it bothered me?" Jessie asked, resting her head on James's shoulder.

"Jessie?" James asked, raising his eyebrows.

"The neck generates alot of heat, as you say," Jessie said, her voice growing softer. "And I need it," she raised her eyes to his, "Because whenever I look into your eyes, I get chills."

James could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Jessie, I..."

"Shh," she whispered, running her hand across his cheek, and she kissed him, very softly, on the lips. James was stunned when they parted, and when Jessie kissed him again, he put his arms around her and held her close to him. This was truly the best moment of his life.

Meowth whistled to himself as he walked back into the room, and he froze when he saw Jessie and James kissing. Then he smiled to himself. "It's about time," he said with a purr. "It's about time." And he turned and left, closing the door quietly.

"What do you mean, the port is closed?" Gold demanded. We were talking to the guard at the entrance to Olivine Harbor.

"I said the port is closed," the guard repeated. "That nasty little storm churned up the seas a good deal, there's no way the ship can sail. You'll just have to wait till tomorrow."

"Aww man!" Ash moaned as we walked away from the harbor, "Now what do we do?"

I thought a moment and said, "Well hell, we've all got water Pokemon, right? The sun is shining now, and a few waves aren't anything our Pokemon can't handle. Let's surf to Cianwood!"

Ash and Gold looked at each other, and then Ash said, "That's a good idea. If we leave now we can probably make it there by nightfall."

"Well what are we waiting for then?" Gold said cheerily. "The beach is that way."

We walked west of Olivine towards the sandy beach.

"Rough seas, bah!" Gold scoffed. "Look, the water is calm as could be! I don't see how..."

Suddenly, Gold was cut off by an icy voice. "Hold it!!!"

We looked around. "I know that voice..." Gold said. Before any of us could say anything, a figure jumped down from the ridge overlooking the shore and stood before us. He was about Gold's height, with long red hair and a black sweatshirt-jacket with a mysterious emblem on the front pocket, and a wallet chain hanging from his pocket.

"Silver!" Gold exclaimed, his face darkening.

"That's right," Silver said, smirking. Silver was, of course, the rival character from the video game. "I saw you guys walking down here and I thought you'd be up to no good."

"Us, up to no good?" Gold laughed sarcastically. "I thought it's usually YOU doing that."

"Not anymore, pal," Silver said, brushing his hair back. "Let's just say that I am a changed man."

"Define changed," I said.

Silver glared at me. "Who are you?"

"He's with us," Gold said. "He's a friend of ours."

"Is that right?" Silver said icily. "Well anyway, as I was saying, after you beat me in Mt. Moon, _by pure chance_ if you remember, I've decided that I can't become strong if I don't show a little goodness every now and then. So let's just say you've caught me during one of my 'good' phases."

"Yeah, right." Ash said, rolling his eyes.

"For real, man!" Silver said, spreading his arms. "Is this a face that would lie?"

"I don't know," Gold muttered. "Every time I see it, I want to punch it in."

"Such malice," Silver said with a smirk. "Then I guess you won't be needing my help. Ta!" he turned and started walking away.

"Wait!" I called after him, and he turned. "You said you would help us?"

"Well, considering that I've got nothing better to do... sure, why not?"

Ash, Gold, and I got into a quick huddle. "What do you think? Should we trust him?" I asked.

"I don't think we should," Ash said. "He means nothing but trouble. He reminds me of Gary."

"I don't know," Gold said. "On my journey, he did seem to grow a lot from losing to me constantly. I have a feeling that he has changed, at least enough for him not to steal all our Pokemon in our sleep."

"Let's let him tag along for the time being," I said. "And if he betrays us, we can take him up to Rock Tunnel and tell the Machops that he's a big dumbbell."

"Agreed," Gold said, and then we de-huddled and Gold approached Silver. "All right, here's the deal. You can tag along with us if you want, but I warn you now: any funny business, and you'll be in a lot of pain, do you understand?"

Silver gave a jaunty salute. "On my honor, loser!"

"Right then," I said, taking a quick deep breath. "The ocean is around the bend. What say we get moving?"

"Right," everyone agreed, and so, with a new ally, we walked towards the sea.


	14. The Fleet

****

CHAPTER 14

__

The Fleet

Our trek to the beach did not last much longer. We walked single file, with Ash in the front, followed by Gold and me, and Silver swaggering along in the rear. Finally, the golden sands came into view.

"Finally, the beach!" Gold exclaimed in relief.

"Goody," Silver said, rolling his eyes.

"All r ight, water Pokemon out!" Ash declared. In a huge flash of red light, four water Pokemon appeared; my Politoed, Ash's Blastoise, Gold's Gyarados, and Silver's Lapras.

"Silver, when did you get a Lapras?" Gold asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Last year," Silver replied, "When you _weren't_ harassing me."

"Hey, let's not forget who was harassing who."

"Can we just forget it?" I put in. "Come on, Cianwood awaits."

"Right," Gold said, taking a deep breath, "To Cianwood!"

Our Pokemon waded into the water, and we climbed aboard and we were off! It was truly exhilarating to ride the waves on the pack of my Politoed. The wind swooshed past my ears and the waves jumped up and slapped my legs. If this was a dream, it would go down in history as the best one I ever had. But I pinched myself quite hard, and nothing happened, so I guess it was real.

"Wake me when we get there," Silver muttered, leaning back in Lapras's saddle and closing his eyes. "Lapras, try not to lose the losers." Lapras rolled her eyes and grunted.

"So, how far is it to Cianwood, exactly?" I asked.

"If we keep up a constant pace, we should be there in about an hour or two." Ash replied. "Trust me, I've been this way dozens of times."

"So have I," Gold said, smirking. "In fact, I think our experiences are equal, except that I actually bothered to pick up the Johto gym badges!"

Ash glared at Gold evily, and then flopped down on Blastoise's shell and said, "Shut up and surf."

..................................................................................

__

Bleep... bleep... bleep... the green radar screen beeped quietly again and again, and for a few moments here and again, a pair of eyes watched it. This pair of eyes was attached to a girl... Lt. Yoi, Giovanni's daughter. She had been patrolling the seas for three days, training the new recruits brought to them by Hulk and Greystorm's squad. She was very proud; so far they had trained over 70 new members... not all of them willingly... some of them had to be pulled from their homes and from their sleep... Yoi smirked as she remembered the operations from last night. A man and his girlfriend had been sleeping naked, when a crew of Rockets burst through the door, looted the house, and grabbed the couple and dragged them all the way back to the waiting sub, not even giving them any clothes.

Yoi sighed and leaned back in her chair, brushing her long, dirty blonde hair behind her head. She loved her job... she wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. She got to travel to far away places... she had even been to countries past Hoenn, and seen Pokemon nobody else knew about. She got to meet all kinds of people, whether they were her victims, or friends, or enemies... the only thing she didn't like was that there were no cute guys on the team. She was 19 years old, she should have at least had 1 boyfriend by now.... but all the guys were either pervs or just not her type. She kept telling herself she would meet someone eventually, but she was starting to lose hope.

"Lt. Yoi?" came a voice over her walkie talkie, "Check the radar on sector 17, I think we have something."

Yoi sat up and looked at the radar screen, and observed four blips of light, moving slowly south. "Intruders in our midst," she said with a smile. "Perfect."

"Should we apprehend them, boss?"

"Hmm... yes. Capture them and bring them to me. They will become our newest members."

"Very good, boss."

Lt. Yoi grinned and flipped on the video surveillance. This would be fun.

.........................................................

We had been surfing for about 45 minutes when I said, "So Ash, why did you never pick up the Johto Gym Badges?"

"None of your business!" Ash snapped.

"He's too weak," Silver spat from my left. "He's afraid he'll get beaten to a pulp."

"No, that's not it! I just didn't get around to it, that's all."

"And yet, you still managed to get your Pikachu to level 80," I said.

"Yes I did." Ash muttered. "And if you don't shut up about the badges, you're going to make me angry. And when I get angry, my Pikachu gets upset. And when Pikachu gets upset, people get ZAPPED!"

"Ripoff!" I coughed. "Ripoff!"

"What was that?" Ash said softly.

"Nothing, nothing..." I said, looking at the sky.

"Hey can we stop fighting please?" Gold said. "Let's talk about something happy, such as...."

But Gold never got to say his happy thought, because suddenly an amplified voice shouted over a megaphone, "DON'T MOVE! THIS IS TEAM ROCKET, YOU ARE SURROUNDED!!"

We looked around, and from behind, in front, and to the sides were looming, steel-gray battleships, gaining on us rapidly.

Silver sat up and scratched his head. "This can't be good," he said.

"Duh," I shot back at him. "Should we try to make a break for it?"

"We move too slow," Ash said. "We have to fight, we have no choice."

"Right..." I said, and I inched forward on Politoed's back and kept my hand on my Poke Balls. "Fighting solves problems."

"Like you wouldn't believe," Silver whispered.

"Like you wouldn't believe...." Gold echoed.

The ships drew closer.


End file.
